Blood Moon
by MorwenIthil
Summary: Elijah is haunted by his past when a tomb is desecrated. Nothing is what it seems as preparations begin for an ancient ceremony which could lead to the end of everything. Rated M for violence and language.
1. Cryptic

**A/N:** This is my first story. Please review, even if you hate it - it will help me with my writing if I know what people like/dislike. But please don't be abusive. Thank you!

**Disclaimer:** I don't own The Vampire Diaries; if I did then Elijah (Daniel Gillies) would be ever-present onscreen. However, I do own this concept.

* * *

Their voices sounded hollow in the empty crypt. There was nothing there, after all their searching, nothing but a large stone tomb that wouldn't open. They had tried Bonnie's magic. Caroline and Stefan had tried to heave the lid off together. All their efforts were in vain – the stone did not want to come off.

"Whatever is in there obviously doesn't want to come out." They all nodded in agreement with Elena. Klaus had screwed them over. Again.

"Well you shouldn't have been so blindly optimistic when you made that deal with him." Damon sauntered into the mausoleum with a wry grin on his face. He was enjoying the fact that Elena now had to accept his help. Help he'd been offering to the Scoobies since they began this hopeless quest.

Elena glared at him. God, how had he ever found her attractive? He smirked and continued, "It was sealed by Mikael. An Original. Who knew a _lot _of witches and forced them to seal this. Probably." He gestured vaguely at the crypt which held so much importance, not wanting to reveal what little information had been entrusted to him. He perched on top of the lid, drawing eye-rolls from everyone as he did so.

"Yes Damon, we know that. Klaus told us. So unless you have something of use to contribute to this…" Elena's cynicism was a real buzz-kill. Damon closed his eyes and quickly counted to ten. Ten ways to kill her and get out before anyone could even react.

"I am assuming that my brother did not tell you that only a member of our family can open the tomb."

Elijah stepped out of the shadows and, with a stealth obtained only through centuries of practice, moved next to the tomb. He knelt and began examining the tomb's exterior, completely aware of the teenagers' reactions to his arrival. He was by far the most reliable of the Originals, but he knew that they would never fully trust him. _And rightly so, after all, they did dagger me twice and there was that unfortunate accident with Rose-Marie and Trevor, in which I ended up staked to the door. I, in their minds, am far more likely to lead them astray in an attempt for vengeance than to aid them._

"Elijah… Why are you here?" Elena was always blunt with her questions, always so trusting of the wrong people. Elijah threw a sideways glance at Damon, neither of them about to give up their information willingly. Unless there was a suitable offer made for it.

He continued examining the carvings on the walls of the tomb, intrigued by his recognition of them. _Norse runes, how very strange_… His train of thought was cut off by a sudden stabbing in his heart, as if a silver dagger with white oak ash was being driven through it. _It cannot be…_

He was pulled from his reverie by the children. He hadn't even realised that he'd been blocking them out. They really did make a fuss over the tiniest of things. He was about to return to the runes when he registered what they and Damon were arguing about. Or, to be exact, what _Elena_ and Damon were arguing about; whether or not to open the tomb. He felt a centuries old anger reignite and almost by instinct quelled the argument.

"You will not open this tomb," his voice shook with fury as he stared into Elena's eyes, letting her feel the full might of an Original's power. Everyone fell silent, fearful of what might happen next. Stefan edged ever so closer to Elena, despite knowing he that he would be no match for Elijah. Elijah mentally checked himself and reined in his rage. When he was once more in control he continued.

"This tomb is sealed for a reason, you must respect that fact. You must also understand that no one knows what my father hid in here; it could be a weapon to deal with the latest Mystic Falls Ley lines struggle, or," he paused to ensure they were all taking this in, including Damon. "Or it could be an even bigger threat. So until I have worked out what those runes say no one is to even consider attempting to open this tomb. Am I clear?"

A quick glance at their faces told him he was more than transparent, yet he felt compelled to search their auras to ascertain if they truly accepted his condition for aiding them. No one seemed to be considering anything but going along with his plan. They all knew that in spite of all the backstabbing and double-crossing that Elijah would keep his word. Something flickered in Elena's aura, something so brief he almost missed it. Almost. He would be keeping an eye on her, she was not herself. And he was certain that there had been something in her eyes earlier on. Something dark and otherworldly.

Something that was not Elena.

* * *

What do you think? Love it? Hate it?  
Sorry if I'm harsh with Elena's character, but am I the only one who's sick and tired of her supposed 'love' for both Salvatores? At least Bella made her mind up!  
Please review and/or suggest possible directions. I have an idea of where this is going but not how it's gonna get there.


	2. Innocence

**A/N: **Hey people of Earth! So, the story seems to be going down well so far - quite a few followers - honestly, I didn't think ye'd enjoy it that much :P

Big thanks to my first EVER reviewer -** tvdspnislife** I know I've said it many times, but THANK YOU so much for your kind words! Without you I don't think I'd have been as motivated to get this next chapter done :D

**Disclaimer: **TVD does not belong to me. At all. If it did then Elena would've died in that crash in the Season 3 finale. *ducks behind chair for cover from airborne projectiles*  
This story DOES belong to me. As does the female character introduced in this chapter.

This story is **rated M** for a reason; the following chapter has scenes of rape and violence. Don't read if it's not your cup of tea.

**P.S. **I haven't seen Season 4 OR 5 yet, and despite my dislike of Elena I do still like to watch the show (purely to drool at Elijah and Damon 0o0). PLEASE **don't** spoil it for me! Go raibh míle maith agaibh [Thank you!]

Please review. Let me know what you liked/disliked. Point out grammar/spelling/other mistakes. Pass on ideas. Thank you ;)

* * *

The silence of the night was broken by the gentle swish of skirts along the forest trail. A young maiden hurried through the trees, dodging this way and that to avoid branches and roots which jutted out at odd angles. The only light came from the full moon, its light dancing on the clouds and illuminating the less dense areas of the woods. The maiden was deep in thought as she ran and failed to notice a figure hidden in the shadows that had followed her from her village.

When she came to a stream she paused a moment to regain her bearings. It was then that she noticed the figure for the first time. Not out of the corner of her eye, but rather as a sixth sense. It was a dirty aura; one of the darkest she had ever sensed. It was impossible to describe but she knew it belonged to a being full of wicked intent and purpose. As it approached she felt every nerve of her being tingle with adrenaline, prepared for whatever came next.

_Fight?_

She tensed as the figure came closer. She could protect herself, though in this day and age it was a major taboo for a woman to show physical strength of any sort. Then again no one would ever know...

_Or flight?_

This option was quickly becoming the more realistic of the two. The figure was still a good fifty yards away but she could tell that he was at least six foot tall. It was almost certainly a male approaching her, the height and build suggested as much, and why on earth would a woman want to stalk her as this figure had?

She continued to 'rest' by the stream, not wanting to alert the figure to the fact that she knew he was there. Oh how she wished Elijah was there, no harm ever came to her when he was by her side.

_Get a grip, you are perfectly capable of protecting yourself!_

A faint breeze carried his scent to her. He smelled as if he had never washed; it was a stale, rotting smell. She doubted if there had ever been an aura and body odour more perfectly matched. The breeze also carried his taunting whispers to her. Taunts which made her skin crawl at their vulgarity and crudeness. She should never have stopped. She shouldn't have been foolish enough to think that she could overcome him. Elijah had warned her so many times to be careful, but she had never listened

Not once.

She had meant to, honestly she had, but whenever Elijah spoke her mind went numb and her heart beat faster. His voice seemed to melt her very soul; his eyes _definitely_ saw her soul. He had this way of gazing at her, but it was as if he was looking _into _her. She had often heard him say that the eyes were the door to a person's soul... Sometimes she wondered if he spoke from experience or if it was just another of his strange sayings.

Her mind was pulled sharply out of its pondering by two monstrously large hands which had circled around her waist. She screamed in fright and desperately began clawing at them. Her attacker merely laughed and continued to drag her to the ground. He pinned her down, holding her wrists above her head in one hand he used the other to begin untying her corset. She screamed again as she frantically struggled to free herself. Exhaustion overtook her; he was too heavy for her to move, she was merely burning up all her energy.

_Which is what he wants, _a calm voice of logic rang through her mind. _It will be so much easier for him to take me if I'm exhausted. _

With this in mind she quickly formulated a plan as the hand which had been undoing her corset came up to block her cries. She couldn't breathe, and now she was surrounded by his aura and scent. It was a claustrophobic sensation. The burn in her chest told her that if he did not remove his hand soon she would pass out. And then she would be in trouble. If only she could remember that one defensive measure Elijah had told her. One that he had guaranteed would always work. The one that had made her feel incredibly awkward in his presence...

She felt her body go limp and her eyes close, the lack of air having achieved the desired affect. She listened to the rustle of her skirts as they were hitched up her legs. She had to bite the inside of her cheek to prevent herself crying out as the frozen winter air slapped her thighs. She heard his satisfaction of having her before him, exposed and unable to protect herself. As innocent as she was, she was not so naive as to not understand what was happening.

Of course it frightened her terribly to know what was happening, to know that she was about to be violated in the cruelest way possible. She heard more material drop to the ground. _His trousers._ He gripped her wrists with one hand and used the other to pin her hips down. She screamed as he forced himself into her. Her struggling only seemed to excite him more, which caused him to push deeper and harder into her. She gritted her teeth with all her remaining strength, she would not give him the satisfaction of hearing her vocalise how much he was hurting her. She felt his coarse hands run up her sides to the remaining clasp of her corset. As he undid the clasp however, something strange happened.

She watched as a variety of emotions played across his face; surprise, excitement... pain. He seemed to shudder and then he collapsed on top of her. She felt the crushing weight of his body knock the remaining breathe from her lungs. As the world faded to black she saw a familiar face before her, yelling her name. As he shook her in a desperate attempt to keep her conscious, she noticed that his face was streaked with blood and that his hands were splattered with it too. It took her a moment to realise that it was hers. She didn't want to know where it had come from.

She saw how black his eyes had become, how dilated the pupils were. She raised a shaky hand to trace the angry veins around them. Her angel looked more like a demon. The very same demon, he had warned her, was his true nature. Her blood was calling him, making him thirsty. Making him angry.

His eyes regained some of their usual compassion as he gently entwined his fingers with hers and bent down to place a kiss on her forehead, before rising and turning his rage on her attacker. She had never seen him like this. Never seen him driven mad by bloodlust. He had never acted like this; never fully embraced his nature. Now she knew why. He was a force to be reckoned with.

He ripped the perpetrator limb from limb as if he were nothing more than paper.

When he decapitated her abuser with his bare hands, she felt as if she would lose what little sanity she had left. And when he ripped the - still beating - heart from his chest she felt physically ill. At some stage he had lit a fire and was now throwing the remains of her attacker into it. Her lungs constricted at the rancid smell of burning flesh.

_This is the part of himself he never wished for me to know..._

She awoke to find herself in a familiar bed. His scent was everywhere, like a protective embrace. A shield from the world, from the nightmares of another aura and scent. And that's when the memories of the previous night hit her. She was attacked... pinned to the ground... her dress... someone pulling her attacker away...

And then the memories which haunted her nightmares. The sound of breaking bones... ripped limbs... blood, so much blood... the scent of burning flesh... a demon with black eyes... an angel carrying her away from the devastation.

A small cough startled her. Was she in danger again? But before she could shoot from the bed a hand gently, but firmly, restrained her. Her stormy eyes locked onto the owner of the hand as her body registered that while, yes, this hand was large it was in no way similar to the one which had violated her. The face that greeted her instantly erased all her fears; her angel.

"Elijah."

Her demon.

* * *

**A/N:** Yeah, so this turned out so different to how I planned. I'm not 100% happy with it. But it was so hard to write a truly awful scene like this. It was also really difficult to write a violent reaction for Elijah... Hope it's not too bad/off character. Let me know what you think. Until we meet again x


	3. Nightmares & Sweet Dreams

**A/N: **Wow, you guys seem to like this... the pressure is mounting for me to come up with a plan for this crazy train. So, yeah, this chapter is mostly Elijah remembering the past - not much happens to be honest. I put in lyrics of a song that I thought went really well with the chapter, and they can be interpreted as Elijah's thoughts/him remembering something said to him. Hopefully. *crosses fingers and scrunches eyes shut*

Let me know if you like lyrics in a story, or if you think it's a bad idea. I just wanted to experiment with style/format.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own TVD, if I did then Alaric and Damon would be canon. Also I don't own the lyrics in the story (they're in italics with apostrophes around them. They're obvious, you can't miss them :P) The song is** 'Anywhere' by Evanescence**. They own it, not me.

**P.S. **Does anyone know the name of a fic about Odin punishing Loki after discovering that he has children? I think it's post-Avengers/Thor. Loki's supposed to be punished for trying to enslave mankind, but then the fact that he has kids pops up... Thor and Stark are in it, which is why I think it's Avengers. It was a really good story, but I can't seem to find it on the site. Does anyone know what it's called/if it was taken down? THANK YOU! ^-^

* * *

Elijah woke with a start. He hadn't thought of that night in a long, long time. No, that wasn't quite true. He hadn't had a nightmare about it in a long time. He _always_ thought about her. He could still remember how despite her aura being weak with fatigue, it had glowed a violent mix ruby and ivory – agitation and intense fear. It was how he had found her. He had been startled to sense her panic and when he found her, something inside him had snapped.

He was not proud of how he had acted that night and he would not attempt to justify the excessive level of violence he had displayed, and yet he knew that if given the choice to go back to that moment and change his actions, he would not.

He did not regret his choices; life was far too long to carry unnecessary remorse. He had given into his true nature that night. He had revealed the monster he had kept hidden for all those centuries. Why?

_Because she is mine._

The thought came unbidden to his mind and he felt a stab of guilt as he thought of how they had ended. Could he still say that she belonged to him? He let his fingers trace over a scar on his chest, right over his heart. Yes, he could still lay claim to her. She had never loved another in that short time that was her life.

_'I have dreamt of a place for you and I  
No one knows who we are there  
All I want is to give my life only to you…'_

Elijah rose out of bed and stood by the window, letting the moon bathe him in a pure, silvery light. He felt its calming effect begin to take hold as it always did. Strange, how something as simple as moonlight could have such an effect. Then again, the moon was not such a simple thing.

It was symbolic in alchemy wherein it represented a facet of silver; symbolic of clarity, purity, and brilliance.

More symbols are derived from myth, lore and culture as we see lunar associations tied with deities and cyclical events in human collective consciousness. Some of the archetypes of this being Artemis, the Greek goddess of hunting, chastity, and vengeance; Diana, also a huntress archetype, Roman goddess of woodland, protector of women and animals ; Hecate, adopted Greek goddess of the night specializing in birth, cycles, purification, crossroads and otherworldly sight; and Thoth, Egyptian god of the moon having connections with magic, wisdom, writing, and hidden meanings, associated with Hermes in Greek myth, who interestingly, like Hecate is a figurehead of crossroads too.

The phases of the moon serve as another glimpse into her intricate meanings. For example the Waning Moon is symbolic of letting go, surrender, release, and contemplation; New Moons are symbolic of new beginnings, a fresh start, and rebirth; a Waxing Moon is symbolic of growth, manifestation, and attainment; and the Full Moon is symbolic of the height of power, the peak of clarity, fullness and obtainment of desire.

Elijah realised that he had far too much time on his hands if he could recite that off like anyone else recites the alphabet – off the top of their heads without any problems at all.

He closed his eyes and allowed his mind to wander. With each second that passed he felt the fear the nightmare had instilled in him dissipate. As the fear passed he found that his memory of her became clearer. A small smile stretched across his face as the memory of her enveloped him completely.

_'I've dreamt so hard I cannot dream anymore  
Let's run away, I'll take you there…'_

He sighed with content as he remembered how soft her milky skin had felt under his fingertips. He could still see her stormy eyes; he remembered how, during their first fight, it had seemed as though a storm was raging within them. A laugh escaped his lips as he pictured her reaction when he had told her this, during the fight. She had stood before him with an open mouth, insults and curses dying on her lips. The storm instantly quelled leaving her eyes misty like moonlight. She had pulled him into her arms then and kissed him chastely.

She had pulled away fairly quickly, embarrassed by her actions. It was their first kiss.

He had stood silent for a few hundredths of a second, before realising that her aura was a delicate shade of rose – love – and that she was putting her heart on the line. With this knowledge he had crossed the distance between them in a heartbeat. She had been surprised at first, but not nearly as much as when he bent down and placed his lips on hers. That kiss was full of meaning and passion, unlike the first.

He could still remember how she had tasted. How her scent had filled his head like the richest, most delicate perfume. He could have sworn that she was there with him now, embraced in his arms, ghosting her lips over his neck and lips.

_'We're leaving here tonight  
There's no need to tell anyone  
They'd only hold us down…'_

Her voice whispered through his mind. It was such a soothing sound; like the sweetest lullaby. He tried to recall the song she would whisper in his ear at night, at morning when they woke, and when they were alone. He thought of how they danced together. She was naturally graceful but he had soon discovered that she had two left feet when it came to dancing. Dresses back then were floor length, so she had gotten away with standing on his feet and allowing him do all the work. He found himself humming the tune softly under his breath, vaguely remembering the words:  
_  
'So by the morning's light  
We'll be half way to anywhere  
Where love is more than just your name…'_

The memory faded as Elijah's phone began to ring. He sighed, walked back into his room, stretched out on the bed and checked the caller ID. Damon Salvatore. Just what he needed right now.

"Damon."

"Elijah," for once, the Salvatore's words were without sarcasm. Even over the phone Elijah could tell how Damon was feeling. His onyx aura was tinged with sunstone – something had him on edge, and Elijah wasn't sure if he wanted to know what it was.

"Sorry to spoil your plans for the rest of the night. But we have a problem. And when I say problem, I mean global crisis."

_Here it comes, what will it be this time? Elena? Niklaus? Katarina? Another, recently discovered Petrova girl, perhaps?_

He wondered if it would be too much to ask for a modicum of normality in his life. An eternity of chaos was not something he looked forward to, though it seemed to be the predominant feature of his life to date. He found himself slipping back into his memories, and slowly Damon's 'global crisis' was tuned out of his mind.

_'Forget this life  
Come with me  
Don't look back you're safe now'_

"… find whoever did it, and find out where they put the you-know-what that was inside. Elijah? Elijah, are you even listening to me? This is no time to be your usual pensive self. We are in some serious shit here. "

Elijah's mind snapped back into focus as he realised that Damon was not talking about the usual Mystic Falls drama. He took a deep breath before asking Damon to repeat himself. By this time Damon was sufficiently pissed off and his aura had turned coral – annoyance and exasperation – both of which were thick on his tongue as he complied with Elijah's request.

"So, what are we going to do?"

"_We?_" Elijah found himself grinning at Damon's use of the word. How would the vampire hunter feel about Damon asking Elijah for help instead of him? He, himself, was unsure about the connotations implied by both Damon's choice of words and tone of voice.

_'Unlock your heart  
Drop your guard  
No one's left to stop you'_

Elijah decided to play the younger's game. It was the most probable reason for Damon starting this anyway – he thought Elijah would remain stoic.

"I was not aware of the existence of a 'we' involving you and I, Damon. I thought that the history teacher was your 'we'."

He heard Damon scoff on the other end of the line, and was pleasantly surprised by a faint magenta hue which appeared in Damon's aura. _So, he _is_ flirting; with a history teacher who's a vampire hunter and an Original who's a historian. Interesting._

"We're not exclusive. I'm free to partner up with whoever I choose."

"Whomever."

"What?"

"You are free to 'partner up' – as you so eloquently put it – with _whomever_ you choose."

"Elijah."

"Yes, Damon?"

"Go stake yourself."

* * *

**A/N:** I couldn't resist putting Damon/Alaric into it. Love it? Hate it? Something wrong with a character? Don't like song lyrics in fics? Lyrics don't make sense? Let me know what you think. And let me know if you find that Loki fic I'm looking for. Thank you :) Until our paths cross once more...


End file.
